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by **Bogoria1** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 2:28 pm

ARMY STRIKES BACK AT RALKOVNIK

Regulars and LDVs massed for major counteroffensive against rebel forces

February 20, 2015| 11.00 AM PCT | înregistrate| By: Filipina Bonkowska | @FBonkowskaBBC

In a surprising turn of events, the Ground Forces have launched a major counteroffensive operation against rebel forces besieging, Rakovnik home to a substantive enclave of northerners and the site of one of the BAF’s largest airbases.

”Began at dawn”

“The counterattack began at dawn,” reported Maria Zuokas, our correspondent from the front, “I could hardly see the rising sun on account of the mist, yet the entire horizon was lit up in a sheet of red – the army says more than 150 guns and Grad launchers were massed for this offensive – some as part of the combat brigades taking part, others hauled from old People’s Army warehouses, hastily refurbished and manned by reservists. Beholding the sight from some 5 km away, and hearing the thunder of the propellants, the freight-train roar of outbound munitions, I could definitely believe it.”

“Leading the way are the sixth, seventh and eighth brigades of the Bogorian Ground Forces. So far, they’ve taken relatively little part in the fighting. I was told by the Ministry of Defence that they constitute the army’s main strategic reserve, and they’ve been unleashed for a decisive confrontation with the enemy, where they’ve abandoned their traditional guerrilla or urban warfare tactics for a pitched battle out in the open, where the regulars’ armour, artillery and airpower can confer on them a decisive edge.”

“Speaking of airpower, the Bogorian Air Force has deployed an unprecedented proportion of its combat strength in close support of the ground operation. After the losses previously inflicted by shoulder-launched missiles and anti-air guns, they’ve stuck to high altitude operations, deploying precision-guided bombs and air to surface missiles. How it obtained its stockpile of high tech munitions when a year ago they were struggling to get enough parts, I do not know, though I think our friends may be the ones to thank. Aside from the jets, the transport planes have been busy at night, parachuting supplies into the perimeter so the defenders can hang on while the brigades beyond strike at their besiegers. “Hammer and anvil” was the metaphor used by the Ministry spokesman, a very accurate one, I believe.”

“Long range strike are also being carried out by the BGF’s surface-to-surface missile forces. I’ve been informed that Tochka armed with cluster warheads have been launched against concentrations of rebel forces in the open in support of the ground operation. Longer ranged Scud-Ds have also been used to deploy scatterable mines on the main supply routes the rebels use to sustain their offensive against Rakolvnik. A relatively safe means of interdicting them, compared to risking our pilots’ lives for the task.”

“Of course, let us not forget the contributions of our patriotic citizens – the Local Defence Volunteers, seven battalions of whom are accompanying the regulars in this offensive. Many of them are providing infantry support to complement the mechanised forces, but they are also performing vital rear area tasks such as line-of-communications’ security, supply, maintenance, medical and other tasks.”

“Overall, I think the decisive battle is at hand. The commanders have picked the moment well and caught our previously elusive foes in the open, and it is time to trust the troops to deliver.”

”Peace is our objective”

“The objective of our government is to cease, as quickly as possible, this plague of bloodshed with our compatriots in the south,” said president Kirkalis in a press conference this morning, just after the beginning of the counterattack, “peace is our objective. Indeed, I shall be heading for the conference at Oured to fight our country’s corner. What we do not want, will never accept, is peace with humiliation, peace without sovereignty, a peace wherein our nation’s very territorial integrity is trampled with impunity.”

“What Bogoria, north and south, needs is peace with dignity, which we cannot achieve unless rebels cease combat operations against the forces of the legitimate government. We are prepared to offer a truce in place, subject to a negotiated settlement at the peace conference. If they force our hands, as they did at Rakolvnik, they leave us no room to manoeuvre but to fight back with every weapon in our arsenal until we can force them to the negotiating table.”

“The ball, as the Emmerians say, is in their court. This is their play now, what will they choose?”

by **Arthurista** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 3:42 pm

ENLIGHTENMENT'S PRICE TAG

MPs debate cost of Bogorian intervention

6 March 2015
Gemma Shakti, Parliamentary Correspondent

The Arthuristan parliament is, or is perceived to be, an institution unlike any other. It is held up as an example - a house of constructive debates, compromise, pragmatic negotiations and problem solving. We've looked down our noses at foreign legislatures, with their focus on ideological grand-standing, lack of mutual respect between government and opposition, the prioritisation of scoring partisan brownie points over actually doing anything. It's just so ... for want of a better word, uncivilised.

That's what we want the rest of the world to believe. There's another word for it - boring. Utterly boring, without any hint of the dramas which make foreign politics so entertaining.

Every now and again, though, our very own orators do get to do a bit of grandstanding. Anyone who saw this afternoon's debate was in for a treat.

"Precious, irrecoverable tax revenue"

"The government is, really, completely clueless in the realm of foreign policy, or the whole subject of geoeconomics, for that matter," thundered the Liberal's Shadow Foreign Secretary, the honourable Ms Robin Clynes. "What is the task of the Foreign Office, really? It is to further Arthuristan interests. Use the tool of diplomacy to further Arthurista's prosperity. What do they do, instead? They get into a confrontation with the world's fastest growing economy, over a dispute that has nothing to do with us, in a corner of the world we hardly ever do business with. And for what? To prop up a government that has failed, time and gain, to do the reasonable thing."

"How much will it cost us? How much will it cost Arthuristan companies and the Arthuristan people, the fruits of whose labour the government appropriates for the purposes of pursuing vapid ideological goals instead of solid pro-business foreign policies, like improving trade and investment ties with the very people we are so busy antagonising, and with whom having cordial relations will do us much more good than persisting in the current state of hostility?"

"If the honourable ladies and gentlemen of the government believe that we can be so profligate with precious, irrecoverable tax revenue on foreign adventures, why not do the far nobler thing and cut our taxes instead?"

"Enlightenment versus Medievalism"

"If geopolitics were so simple, then of course my esteemed colleagues of the opposition would be experts at it. After all, it would be more at their level;" so began Anthony Palmerston, whose tenure as Foreign Secretary began just three weeks ago in the wake of the latest cabinet reshuffling. Even in a younger-than-average government in a country prone to young governments, the 33 year old was still eager to make his mark. This, he could feel, was his moment.

"What's happening in Lusayanka right now is more than a mere spat between neighbours. Much more is at stake than whether our balance of payment improves by half a percent this year or not. What we have here is a new democracy struggling for its very survival, its sovereignty and territorial integrity threatened because a certain unmentioned party wishes to callously, cynically exploit some unresolved historical tension for geopolitical gain, whatever the cost to the innocent people actually there."

"What we have in Bogoria, honourable ladies and gentlemen of the house, is a battle between the forces of the Enlightenment, with a capital 'E', versus that of Medievalism. It puts before us a choice, the choice between having a future-facing, rational world order of free nations in a global community, or one dominated by backwards-looking ethno-religious tribal nonsense, mired in fusty historical grudges, where the lives of those caught in its interminable conflicts are nasty, brutish and short?"

"We have to choose, and choose right here and now. Is Arthurista going to help build a peaceful and civilised world of equal and sovereign partners, or will we let our current and potential friends know that we will bail on them so that we can get our Rodarian imports 50p cheaper?"

"There are responsibilities associated with being a great power, as well as privileges. I urge you all to think long and hard about what kind of nation we want to be."

"Committed to Oured"

Prime Minister Leanne Whittaker has not overtly endorsed what Palmerston said earlier. It is, of course, very impolitic for her to take anything but a conciliatory tone with the upcoming peace conference. Underneath it all, however, one gets the sense that the new Foreign Secretary has earned her stamp of approval.

"Despite the recent spate of fighting, we remain committed to Oured," she said this evening. "We will make every effort at the peace conference to push for an end to the fighting as quickly as possible. We will do so, however, without abandoning the consistently principled stance we've maintained throughout the course of the conflict. That is our promise, one which we intend to keep."

by **Rodarion** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 4:48 pm

Consul Ceausescu said he embraced this new responsibility with an open heart and mind

Consul Ceausescu has received his Holiness' blessing in dealing with the Bogorian crisis, with the Senate acknowledging the transfer of responsibility. Under the Rodarian constitution, the Pope has the final say on foreign policy matters and is commander-in-chief of the Papal Armed Forces, the move has been applauded by the National Catholic Party who gave the Pope a standing ovation in the Senate for 10 minutes. Consul Ceausescu said he welcomed the responsibility, "I take this new task with an open heart and mind, what we have to our north is a government emboldened by its puppet masters, to utilise indiscriminate weapons and truly lacks an understanding of the realities of this crisis; President Kirkilas is living in another dimension and this is killing hundreds of people." Many NCP Senators have called for arms to be sent to the rebels, to aid in their fight for economic and political liberation, however the Ministry of Defence and Homeland Security has rejected these calls, stating that the Papal Republic must not sink to the lows of the CDI.

Last night, Consul Ceausescu announced that Chief of the Papal Army Staff, General Ionatan Codreanu was taking up the post of Defence Minister, his predecessor has accepted his invitation to heading the National Economic Reform Office (NERO) which is tasked with overseeing the country's modernisation. General Codreanu was present in the Senate when the Consul announced the Pope's decision, he too offered the Pope a standing ovation, he was later accepted as the new Defence Minister by the Senate, 603-97.

The Pope's decision comes as news filters through that the government has launched an offensive in an attempt to break the siege of the Rakovnik Air Force Base, where 1,200 soldiers are trapped, besieged by almost 4,000 rebels. UBLF commander, Konstantyn Serafin has vowed to defeat the offensive, "we will drive them back as we have been doing the past three weeks, they have swaggered their way in arrogantly and return home in tiny numbers." A report by the ISI, the Papal Republic's external intelligence service, indicates that President Kirkilas has surrounded himself with yes-men and replaced vocal generals with weak willed cronies. The President's detachment from reality into a dimension of day dreams has had a profound effect on the ground, with desertions in the Bogorian Defence Force increasing daily, as a result the BDF is becoming more and more reliant on fascist militias, who owe their loyalty to murderous blood lusts rather than nation or people.

In his address to the Senate, Consul Ceausescu stated that with this authority, he may be forced to order an intervention for the sake of the 3 million ethnic Rodarians living side by side with their Polish cousins in the Bogorian Christian Republic.

"We have a duty of care to our kin, no matter where they are in the world. They may not be represented directly in this chamber, but they are through our hearts and minds, we care for them, we think about them. When I think that they too may become outright victims of this dreadful rampage by the fascist oligarchy in Bogoria, I shudder to think of their suffering, but it is there in mind as I am sure it is in yours" he said.

Independent BCR solidarity groups have begun publishing posters on the internet showing the suffering of the civilian population in the rebel held south, with the same slogan being repeated; "Utena - 180 dead. BCR - 2,420 dead. We know who the real terrorists are." The poster is too graphic to be shown on the online or printed versions of National Exprima.

Public opinion in the Papal Republic has shifted dramatically in the past 48 hours, with now almost 50% backing a military intervention. Mayor of Voluntari, Ekaterina Popescu said in a press conference about the city's role in the defence industry, "I cannot for one second think of a reason why we should not send in troops and beat those b******s down, what can the CDI do? Sanction us like they sanctioned the Ankarans? I don't think so." Her sentiments have been repeated numerous times by other NCP politicians, but now National Democratic Party politicians are following suit. Shadow Minister for Defence and Homeland Security, Ion Milescu said, "We need to do something now, before the government becomes more vicious and deranged, we must do it for the millions of innocent Catholics, this won't be a hypocritical war the CDI craves, but a righteous war, a war befitting Thomas Aquinas."

Cardinal Secretary of State, Remus Draganescu has voiced his fury at Utena's detachment from a peaceful solution, saying, "this latest military operation in the south, will not pave the way to Oured in coming days, but will block the way with more and more corpses", his comments have put into doubt the Papal Republic's likely attendance of the conference, however the Foreign Ministry declined to comment on any possible refusal to attend in light of the latest operation in the south.

Senator Diana Ciora (NCP), chairwoman of the Senatorial Foreign Affairs Committee has warned that attending the Oured Summit with the hope of peace will be a step in the wrong direction and that the Papal Republic, should attend with the knowledge that many attending also will be using the Summit for securing time on behalf of the Bogorian government's criminal campaign in the South.

Mayor of Voluntari, Ekaterina Popescu said there was no valid reason
against intervention

Green Party Senators called for peace and rejected calls for intervention in Bogoria, only to be heckled by other Senators. Several NDP Senators accused the Greens of being sympathetic to the illegitimate government in Utena. Leader of the National Democratic Party, Senator Romulus Maior praised the Pope's decision in his Senate address, saying, "his Holiness has shown the nation that he trusts the elected representatives of the Rodarian people, to find a solution to this crisis that benefits the will of the people. I will be the first to say that I do not always agree with Consul Ceausescu politically, but on the matter of Bogoria, I can assure him and the people of the Papal Republic, that I and my party offer him and his party, our full support and backing. This crisis does not just affect the people of Bogoria's South, but it affects us Rodarians equally, their pain is our pain, their plight is our plight and their enemies are our enemies."

A fourth humanitarian convoy is being assembled, carrying blankets and provisions collected by the Church for the dispossessed and homeless in the war ravaged south. 80 nuns of the Saint Ekaterina Covenant are travel in the convoy to offer any aid they can to both civilian and rebel, 35 nuns of the Immaculate Heart Association and the Holy Mother's Spirit Foundation have already entered the South, offering rebels cooked food and medical care. The Mother Church has begun arranging further volunteer groups for the Immaculate Heart Association, the Holy Mother's Spirit Foundation has paid for 60 doctors and surgeons to travel to Sobotka to offer high quality medical care for wounded rebel soldiers. Mother Superior Olympia Ceausescu of one group of nuns in Bogoria through the HMSF, made clear the plight of the civilians in the South in an interview with National Television One this morning.

"They're suffering is deplorable, they are without water, electricity or heating and the roads are badly damaged. Some have been without food for at least 4 days, children are freezing to death and some starving to death. Aid has finally begun to be distributed to the worse affected areas, but places like Damnica, Resko, Bialogard and Popowo in the fighting areas are completely inaccessible. Some of my sisters have been forcibly turned away by government soldiers outside Popowo, these people are beasts" she said.

Consul Ceausescu has called for an emergency National Security Council meeting tomorrow morning, he has cleared his personal events all weekend to address the violent upsurge in fighting. He will struggle to shut out the growing chorus of demands from his Senators and soon the Rodarian people.

Written by Tavian Stoica.

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by **The Eagleland** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 4:59 pm

BREAKING: ENT News Helicopter Shot Down; Terrorists Release 'Horrific' Footage.
Helicopter fell on embassy, 2 dead, 2 unconfirmed, and five persons injured over indiscriminate sniper fire; official terrorist demands made.
^{7 March 2015 | By Ioannis Vasilikos (@john_vas) (ENT)}

The Eagleland Police, in conjunction with the Constantinople Municipal Police, expand the inner cordon up to 750 metres from the embassy grounds, after recent events.

Constantinople, KCT — Events have taken a 'drastic turn for the worst' during the Prestonian Embassy Siege. At 13.27 Constantinople Standard Time, one of the news helicopters of ENT, an Eaglecopter AS350, with two pilots, reporter Maria Katsigiannidi and cameraman Konstantinos Ioannides, was shot down. Sniper fire continued in an indiscriminate manner as five persons were injured -one of whom severely and one paralysed-, until the ENT News Helicopter fell on the embassy building per se, and exploded. Ms. Katsigiannidi and Mr. Ioannides fell from the helicopter during the process and were both confirmed dead on scene.

This event occurred just after a few minutes when the terrorists have released an official warning to the Prestonian Government. Portraying a live burning of Prestonian and Eaglelander flags, followed by a live rape of a Prestonian female, the terrorists demanded the release of Vladimir Martinovic, 46, who has been convicted of smuggling of psychotropic substances, valued up to URD500.000, by a Prestonian Court. They also demanded URD1.000.000 as 'ransom payment' and a free transportation out of the Eagleland, in the form of vans and a private jet.

They threatened, the longer it took for their demands to be met, to rape one woman every hour, before the hostages were executed.

The Eagleland Police and Corps Diplomatique has reacted to this event. The Eagleland Police's Press Representative stated: "In spite of the recent vile and barbaric events, we retain calm and will offer the chance to negotiate, in order to preserve the lives of Eaglelander, Prestonian and other nationals." He added: "Intervention is not a means to be used indiscriminately, and is reserved only when we have no other means left at our disposal. We are cooperating with the Prestonian Government for a solution to this end."

The Eaglelander Corps Diplomatique was more reserved. "Whilst our Prestonian friends comprehend our need to preserve public order in our nation, we understand that an attack on their embassy is an attack on both our nations, and this merits a collective approach. Our governments are engaging in plans, designed to resolve this situation, and this covers both a 'carrot' and a 'big stick' approach to this predicament. We do, however," it was added, "stress that we must also prevent the terrorists from harming our people, as well, hence their psychological temperament must always be taken into consideration. So far conditions are favourable. But that may change in an instant."

The Prestonian Consulate-General in Constantinople did not elaborate fully on this event, but did mention that "The Prestonian Government is working with Eaglelander Law Enforcement to the effect of securing a solution to this problem, whilst maximising the number of persons that survive this horrific attack on our nation. We understand the need to intervene to save lives from disturbed terrorists but we stress that all means be exhausted before the ultimate means is utilised". She then added: "We will not allow our citizens to suffer under no circumstances."

We will cover more on this story as it unfolds.

Ioannis Vasilikos reported from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory. Konstantinos Irakeides contributed to the article from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory.

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by **Arthurista** » Sat Mar 07, 2015 7:05 pm

PM's SPEECH AT PRE-DEPARTURE AIRPORT PRESS CONFERENCE - EXCERPTS

"On the eve of our departure to Oured, I feel that we ought to communicate to our compatriots at home and our friends across the seas, not to mention to posterity, what we hope to accomplish in the following hours."

"The recent months have seen the greatest power blocs the world has ever known, mighty alliances commanding unprecedented concentrations of wealth and armaments ranged against each other, tension spiraling to heights unseen during the last Cold War, over a small corner of Lusankya, where old hatreds and old resentments, kept under lid by its late, unlamented totalitarian ancien regime, has burst its banks and set the country aflame."

"The reasons behind Bogoria's suffering are numerous and complex. As much as I agree in sentiment with Anthony's electrifying speech yesterday in sentiment, about the need to put aside irrational, 'ethno-religious tribal nonsense' for a world safe for the ideas of the Enlightenment to flourish, we cannot ignore them just because they seem pointless and irrelevant to us, because they certainly are not irrelevant to the thousands willing to risk their lives for such seemingly antiquated notions. There are genuine historical grudges at play. Some of which are eminently justified. The last Bogorian government must certainly shoulder a great deal of the moral responsibility for its mismanagement of the southern conflict, thereby allowing tensions to brew to their inevitable boiling point."

"All this, however, is in the past. We feel, and our partners as well, that the interim administration of President Kirkilas is fundamentally different. It is a reasonable leadership, capable of rational decision-making and compromise, qualities whose absence in its obstinate predecessor has unleashed such dreadful havoc. It has decided to revisit the previously-rejected devolution and federalisation plan we proposed, with the aim of radically broadening the political representation of the south, guaranteeing an unprecedented degree of autonomy and safeguarding their cultural rights. All that needed to be done was to begin negotiations with the southern opposition, to sit down with them, communicate to them the administration's intentions, and hopefully allowing common sense to prevail on both sides."

"Sadly, this has not been possible, for the Bogorian state has been subjected to unrelenting armed attack by southern rebel forces since before the interim government was in office. Not only have they rejected all calls to negotiate, the rebels have even staged terrorist attacks in downtown Utena, murdering innocent civilians indiscriminately in the streets. Utena had no choice but to exercise that most fundamental right and obligation of sovereign states, to protect itself, as well as its citizens, from those who mean them malice and harm. However, despite the insurgents being the author of this heinous crime, the interim government never shut the doors to negotiations. All that remains is for the rebels to walk through that door and give peace a chance."

"Ladies and gentlemen - this is what we are going to Oured to accomplish, to create conditions under which peace is given a chance. First and foremost, the fighting must stop. Civilians must be protected and given access to humanitarian supplies and assistance. Secondly, we must assist Utena and its southern counterparts to negotiate a just and lasting political settlement. Furthermore, we must take the first steps towards a safer world wherein regional conflicts such as these are not left to spiral out of control and pit the great powers of the world against each other in a dangerous confrontation."

"What we, and our global partners are aiming for, is not simply peace in a small corner of the world, but peace in our time."

"A permanent peace in Bogoria, a peace with dignity wherein both the nation's territorial integrity and the aspirations of its disparate peoples are safeguarded.

"A global peace for all the world's peoples, wherein our alliances are pillars of strength in providing the aegis of protection and security under which all nations can flourish, not dangerous armed camps staring at each other through barbed wires of steel and suspicion."

"These are the goals we are working towards, ladies and gentlemen. And by whatever gods you venerate, I hope you'll pray for our success."

by **Central Prestonia** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 12:21 am

Peace for some time, but not ours
The Oured Conference begins tomorrow. Ego and mistrust have already ensured it will not succeed.

By Kate Shepherd

Tomorrow, the leaders of six nations, including two of the world's preeminent superpowers, will converge upon a resort hotel in Oured to discuss the future of a nation most of their citizens had not heard of prior to November. The Oured Conference, hosted by the United Republic, represents the last best hope of the world community for peace in Bogoria, where civil war has killed and displaced thousands and shows no signs of slowing. As might be expected, the preceding weeks have been fraught with tension; Bogorian government and rebel forces, eminently aware that the coming days may lead to lines in the sand, have redoubled their efforts to take and retake territory. Towns and villages, or what remains of them, now change hands hourly as these two exhausted armies, the Bogorian Ground Forces and United Bogorian Liberation Front, throw all they have left into one final, fatalistic struggle for a few more miles.

The tensions aren't just confined to Bogoria, however. Any conference of this magnitude will have its speechmaking and media statements before those present retire to their smoky backrooms for talks, and naturally the media will make much of what is said--and left unsaid--in these canned statements. Here, though, we require no deep reading-in to discern the meaning of these trained equivocators' words: peace, while on the agenda, is not on anyone's mind.

It is fashionable, in liberally-minded circles, to blame the Papal Republic for whatever goes wrong in the world, and surely there will be much of that in the days to come. While it may not all prove deserved, undoubtedly the Rodarian government must shoulder some of the blame for what has largely been a failure of their own making. From the outset, the Ceausescu government has sought to undercut the democratic Bogorian government; dumping the Litas, sending a "humanitarian aid convoy" of dubious veracity (last I checked, bullets were not edible) and openly throwing its lot in with a terroristic pseudo-state operating an extremist version of his own National Catholicism. All the while, his government has fought vigorously to keep Bogoria a Rodarian house affair, even going so far as to precondition his appearance in Oured on a deployment freeze of the Prestonian aid mission to that country. Do a few Pandoras full of Prestonian doctors and MREs truly scare the Papal Republic so deeply? Or does Ceausescu, in some fit of nostalgic grandeur, view South Bogoria as an extension of Romula? Officially the Consul has expressed his concern for Prestonian forces being attacked by one side or the other, drawing another dimension into an already complex situation. Disregarding the absurdity of BGF mistaking Prestonians, whom they invited, for rebel patrols, the Consul pointedly omits the part where his government gave arms to those most likely to be doing the shooting.

Even if we disregard his actions, Ceausescu's words alone give enough of an insight to the man's mind to show that peace is the last thing on it. His address to the Emmerian people, in the form of an op-ed in the Chaleur World, rings hollow, directly from the Ceausescu playbook. Do as I say, not as I do. Condemn President Kirkilas, whose wife grew rich from postcommunist sell-ups. Ignore my own stakes in state companies. Condemn the inflow of foreign weapons and troops to Bogoria. Pay no attention to where those weapons and troops come from. Appeal to the conscience of Emmeria, by using the poor exploited South Bogorian proletarian as example, ignoring the millions who live hand-to-mouth in the Papal Republic. Is it any wonder, then, that this man and this bloc ostensibly brought together to promote national sovereignty has done all it can to undermine the principle? But of course, that is the National Catholic way: one rule for the True Faith, another for all the rest.

On the other side of the fence, we have the Emmerians, bannermen of the CDI and "Free Pardes," led by President Alex Vaziri. Vaziri, who has been generally supportive of a real peace in Bogoria, must face not only the double-talking and intransigence of Ceausescu but also the needs and desires of Bogoria and his own public image. For him, this is a multi-front campaign. With Emmeria's and his own prestige taking a hit in the aftermath of the New Pontus crisis, he will no doubt be keen to show a strong front in Bogoria and re-establish some of his sacrificed gravitas. In that strange sort of geopolitical way, New Pontus will figure large in the minds of those present this week; Vaziri's government recently introduced an OPA resolution to sanction the Ankaran Union, a resolution which passed over nay votes by Rodarion and, oddly, Estovakiva. A foreign policy victory for the Vaziri Administration, but one which may come at the cost of any major understandings being reached on Bogoria. As Rodarian NCP-mouthpiece National Exprima pointed out in a recent issue, Octavian Ceausescu carries the mandate of a billion souls into Oured, and their message has been clear: do not fail us. Two straight setbacks, in the OPA resolution and a peace on Emmerian-CDI terms, would be intolerable.

Against this backdrop go the supporting cast of characters. Arthurista, represented by its PM Leanne Whittaker and, for some odd reason, the new favorite target of National Exprima's political bureau. The Arthuristans, contrary to the image spun in Romula, seem to be truly committed to peace. Whittaker, alone among this camp, has even gone so far as to acknowledge the underlying causes of the violence, the racial and religious discriminations and governmental foul-ups which have led tragically to this point. A fly on the wall in the Renaissance Hotel might be quite interested to hear her statements to her colleagues. The Anthorans, thus far relatively silent on the matter, are also likely to back a comprehensive plan for peace; their border is the longest of any party with Bogoria, and that government must surely be working with a view to the inevitable refugee situation should hostilities continue. Finally, we have Jordan Howe, our Premier, whose optimism might be admirable were it not so tragically detached from any semblance of reality. Howe, much like our Emperor, seems to believe that if you say something enough times, it becomes true; the Emperor's totem phrase seems to be "Prestonia as a global force for peace," while Howe, ever the original thinker, has come up with "a multinational peacekeeping coalition." Still, I won't, can't, fault Jordan Howe too heavily. He might be acting on the delusion of being a great power, but at least his delusions are responsible. There is a chance, albeit slim, that Howe could prove the neutral voice of authority that he has tried so desperately to be in this conflict so far from home. Then again, there's a chance I could win the lottery.

And what of Algirdas Kirkilas, the Bogorian President, whose country and war is at the center of all this? In lieu of answer, I shall briefly describe a political cartoon I witnessed this morning in The Herald. While I am no regular reader and certainly no fan of that paper, this one deserves merit. Two footballers, labeled CDI and Rodarion, line up on either side of a football, labeled Bogoria, glaring at one another. A referee, labeled Prestonia, says to them "alright boys, now let's shake hands and have a good, clean match." The football, of course, has no say in where it is kicked or where it ends up in a football match. So it goes with Bogoria. President Kirkilas, alone of those present, has the least enviable position: to watch helplessly as his nation is kicked about in the game of geopolitical football. He will surely need the strength of all his gods in the days to come.

None of this is to suggest that there will be no treaty signed, of course. All of these men and women, save Kirkilas, who rules by emergency decree, and perhaps Ceausescu whose position is nigh-unassailable, have public opinion to consider. In a democratic world, policy is dominated as much by polls and ratings as anything else, and the respective publics of the six-party nations will not conscience another abortive weekend. In the end, there will be something, and before the ink dries, the spin doctoring will be on. There will be a treaty, but don't hold your breath for it to stick. And, one day, there will be peace, but not this day.

Kate Shepherd is a senior analyst at the Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a nongovernmental foreign consultancy with offices in Hudson and throughout Lusankya. She is a regular contributor to PBC in addition to The Gazette, The News-Press and others.

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by **Bogoria1** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 10:25 am

THE MOMENT THE FRONT FELL SILENT

Our embedded correspondent on the moment of the ceasefire

February 20, 2015| 11.00 AM PCT | înregistrate| By: Maria Zuokas | @MZuokasBBC

It was an eerie feeling. The fighting had raged throughout last night. Indeed, when has war stopped for anything? This was doubly so as the hour of the ceasefire loomed – both sides threw men and materiel in a last ditch attempt to seize or hold what they could before they were compelled to stop fighting. On the Rakovnik front, the militant offensive withered in the open country under concentrated attack by artillery, armour and air power. In the close terrain around the airport, however, they managed to grimly hang on to the last few metres of the perimeter. At Damnica, government troops and loyalist militias fought desparately to hold back a militant counterattack, saved at the last minute by the commitment of a battalion of airmobile troops.

Then, at 0000 hours, suddenly, all over the front, this demented struggle for the last metre ceased. The incessant shelling and mortaring diminished, slowed to a trickle, then finally stopped altogether. Silence loomed over the front for the first time in five months. By the morning, tanks, artillery, heavy mortars and rocket launchers were already leaving the battlezone in streams. According to the ceasefire agreement, they would be kept 50 and 70km away from the front, respectively, a process which would be completed in the following 14 days.

Is this the end of the war? Is this the end to the shelling, the terrorist attacks, the humanitarian crisis? There is cause to the hopeful. After all, For the first time in years, Bogoria has come to the attention of the great powers of the world. Would the militants dare to violate the ceasefire under the scrutiny of the eyes of the entire planet?

Or will they defy the world and take up the howitzer again? After all, the truce was signed on their behalf by Rodarion (a nation which, funnily enough, always denied being the militants’ puppet master; and now suddenly has the authority to commit them to legally binding treaties). Will every one of the disparate group of bandits and terrorist which makes up the ‘UBLF’ listen to their shadowy boss? Or will they, as bandits and terrorists are wont to do, ‘go rogue’ and turn the world’s hopes to ashes?

Only history will tell. The front has finally fallen silent. For the moment, at least, this is enough.

by **Central Prestonia** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 8:43 pm

Howe Lauds Peace, Calls for Action as Bogoria Ceasefire Takes Effect

Premier Jordan Howe, pictured here in this undated file photo, has called for a united front in Bogoria following a successful peace conference in Oured.

Hudson Premier Jordan Howe returned to Hudson late this evening after six-party Bogoria talks in Oured reached a swift conclusion in the form of a comprehensive plan for ceasefire and humanitarian assistance in the embattled Lusankyan state.

In a statement released by Howe's office shortly after the news broke (read the full transcript here), the Premier lauded the agreement, which includes provisions for humanitarian aid, but cautioned that the signatories to the Oured Treaty "must make good on their word" to bring peace to Bogoria.

"The hopes of Bogoria, and the eyes of the world, are fixed upon our actions...we must not fail them," the statement said in part. Howe also called upon world leaders to "join [me] in focusing...upon a permanent peace for Bogoria," noting that the ceasefire agreed to still left much to be accomplished. In a brief press conference at Government House this evening, Howe addressed his remarks in more detail and offered his vision for the future of Bogoria, including an expanded humanitarian and peacekeeping mission in that country.

"We have made a commitment, and we intend to stick with it," Howe told assembled media this evening. "To that end, I will shortly be introducing a petition to the Diet for an additional two-hundred fifty million crowns in humanitarian aid to Bogoria, to be funded through the Building for Democracy fund, as well as an additional eight hundred troops to assist local and signatory forces in peacekeeping and humanitarian aid capacities. While I keenly understand the implications of these requests, I strongly feel that our humanity and our conscience compel them, and I sincerely hope that the Honourable and Loyal Opposition will see the reasonability of my government's position."

The Treaty of Oured, signed by delegations from Anthor, Arthurista, Emmeria, the Papal Republic, Bogoria and Prestonia, calls for a ceasefire to take effect at midnight local time, and for the withdrawal of heavy weapons from a corridor of 70 kilometres from the front lines, creating an effective demilitarised zone to be overseen by international observers and peacekeepers. The inclusion of international observers and peacekeepers in the final treaty was hailed as a major victory for the Howe Premiership's foreign policy, which has been based around consensus-building and coalition in regards to Bogoria. Addressing the treaty this evening in her own written statement, Opposition Leader Mary Cullen called the agreement "historic" but voiced continued concern regarding mission creep and cost for continued Prestonian presence in Bogoria.

"His Imperial and Apostolic Majesty's Honourable and Loyal Opposition joins with the Government in expressing its gratitude for this historic agreement on the future of Bogoria," Cullen's statement said. "Even so, we must express our due concern for the seemingly expanded role to which the Right Honourable Premier has committed us, one which at present appears to be without endgame or limitation. Mr Howe's intentions, however nobly constituted, must pay heed to the concerns of his colleagues and constituents. In the coming days we will work closely with the Government to ensure that Prestonian investments in Bogorian peace and reconstruction are made sensibly, with firm limitations and timeframes to which this Government and future Governments may be held."

Will It Hold?

Even as the treaty took effect late this evening, questions began to develop over whether it would remain viable, with analysts noting that a fourteen day window for withdrawal of heavy weaponry outside the DMZ left ample room for potential attacks on both sides, which could destabilise the framework and lead to a new round of fighting. Even as early news of the deal broke, reports from Bogoria suggest that sporadic fighting continued in violation of the ceasefire agreement. In particular, Rodarian paper National Exprima reported today that some six hundred troops from government and rebel militaries had died in fighting around Rakovnik and Damnica, where some of the heaviest pre-treaty action occurred. Both rebel and government forces have blamed the other for instigating the skirmish, and late this evening Bogorian rebel leader Wislaw Sokol announced that he would mobilise 2,000 troops to Rakovnik to evict Bogorian government forces there. While these reports could not be independently confirmed by PBC, the Premier today addressed the concerns, joining Pope Constantine XIV in calling for the ceasefire to be respected by all parties.

"I join with the government of His Holiness the Pope on calling on all parties involved in the Bogorian conflict to respect and adhere to the conditions of ceasefire as outlined in Oured," Howe said this evening. "Prestonian forces deploying in a humanitarian aid capacity to Bogoria will also be given a mandate to investigate reports of ceasefire violations, and I encourage the support and cooperation of all signatory parties with our forces on this matter." Howe also said that additional nongovernmental investigators from the Institute for Global Peace, as well as monitors from prisoners' rights group Mercy International, would be sent to Bogoria in the coming weeks to oversee ceasefire and prisoner transfer operations respectively. In concluding remarks this evening, Howe reiterated his commitment to the Oured Treaty and its successful implementation, saying that Prestonian government and NGO officials would work "without fear or favor" on the ground in Bogoria.

"I say this now to our fellow signatories, to President Kirkilas of the Republic of Bogoria and to Wislaw Sokol and Konstantin Serafim of the UBLF: we have made an agreement, we have drawn our lines in the sand and we will ensure that they are not crossed," Howe said.

OSEN Involvement in Peacekeeping A Possibility, Gov't Says

Another distinct possibility in the coming days is that of an OSEN mission to Bogoria under the aegis of international peacekeeping. While the Howe Premiership has not officially discussed this possibility, sources close to the Premier have categorised it as a likely development going forward.

"The Premier has drawn up plans for 2,500 troops under an OSEN mandate and Prestonian operational command, of which 1,300 will be contributed by Prestonia--that is, 500 on the ground plus 800 additional to be requested in the Diet this week," a source, who requested to remain anonymous, told PBC. "The deal is still being worked out with [OSEN Ambassador Stephen] Clark's office at present but is expected to be presented to OSEN at its next general meeting and discussed in greater detail with interested parties in the coming weeks." Prestonian ambassador to OSEN Stephen Clark was not available for comment at press time, though a spokesperson for his office did tell PBC that an OSEN joint task force in Bogoria had been "a topic of ongoing discussion."

While an OSEN task force in Bogoria might serve a valuable role as a neutral third-party peacekeeping force, many analysts have characterised the idea as an uphill battle, owing to the factors involved in bringing such a force to fruition.

"First, it has to clear the Diet, that's step number one from Prestonia's perspective," PBC Senior Political Analyst Ian Douglas told PBC Evening News. "Then, it has to get the permission of the Bogorian government, and possibly of the other signatory states, including the Papal Republic which may be loathe to let another alliance into the picture. Then once all that's done you need the troops, the interest, from the remainder of OSEN. So it really comes down to whether the leadership of these nations, who really have no stake in Bogoria, will be willing to commit to it. For my money, I just don't see it."

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by **Bogoria1** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 10:34 am

HAS PEACE RUN OUT OF TIME?

President vows that soldiers in Rakovnik will defend themselves against ceasefire violations

February 20, 2015| 11.00 AM PCT | înregistrate| By: Filipina Bonkowska | @FBonkowskaBBC

Less than 48 hours after the signing of the ceasefire, it seems that the truce may already be fraying at the edges.

President Kirkilas gave a press interview this morning, addressing the developing situation in the Rakovnik and Damnica areas. “What the militants are doing is utterly unacceptable,” he declaimed, “they were committed, before the eyes of the world, to a ceasefire in place. What that entails, in the plainest of language, is that the lines are frozen and no attempt at territorial expansion by force may be made after the ceasefire.”

“Our forces at Rakovnik airfield and other areas of the front will not be the first to violate the ceasefire. However, they will not hesitate for one second to return fire in self-defence. “

When queried about the viability to maintain troops in the airfield, now practically isolated by militant positions, Kirkilas responded by saying that they will “hold out for as long as we can supply them by air.”

The president also criticised the militants for emplacing up to twenty howitzers within range of the airfield. “This is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement, one of the key provisions of which is the mutual pullback of tube artillery up to 100mm from within 50km of the front.” The government is considering the deployment of mothballed Bogorian War-era 85mm field guns to the Rakovnik area in response.

’Clear evidence’ of Orducii activity

Two hours after the president’s press conference, Brigadier Gabriel Sasek, commander of the BDF’s military intelligence department, gave one of his own. In a detailed briefing covering various source materiel gathered by Bogorian intelligence assets and their foreign counterparts, he sketched out the case that Orducii operatives have been heavily involved in the war in the south.

“The evidence is incontrovertible,” he concluded, “the satellite imagery, the captured documents, the mobile phone and satphone conversations in Rodarian, the sheer quantity of Rodarian weapons we found in militant hands, from small arms to anti-tank missiles, even the recent, unexplained rapid growth in rebel offensive capability all point towards one simple fact, that Rodarian paramilitary personnel, armed and instigated by the Papal Republic, have been waging a war of aggression against the Republic of Bogoria on its own sovereign territory in the past few months.”

by **Arthurista** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 5:25 pm

HONORARY KNIGHTHOODS AWARDED TO ALEX VAZIRI AND JORDAN HOWE

Honours bestowed for “service to world peace”

10/03/2015
Peter Waugh, Political Correspondent

In a surprising turn of events, it was announced today that the names of two foreign heads of state or government, President of Emmeria Alex Vaziri and Premier of Prestonia, Jordan Howe, will appear in this year’s Honours List. On 2nd of May this year, an announcement will appear on the Kingston Gazette stating that “Our most noble monarch, Gareth II, by the acclamation The People and the grace of their divinities, and so on, and so forth (it does go on for a bit), Protector of the Lords and Commons of Arthurista, doth bestow upon the aforementioned the honorary rank of Knight Commander of the Order of Morrigan.”

Blimey.

First of all, a bit of background is needed here. There are three main Arthuristan chivalric orders. The most common is the Order of the Arthuristan Commonwealth. These are handed out like lollipops to a lot of people every year, foreign and domestic: athletes, rock stars, astronauts, you name it. The Order of Morrigan is the second highest of the three, named after two figures: the Tribal/Highlander goddess of kingship and sovereignty, as well as the Lady Protector who presided over the Arthuristan Empire at its territorial height. Knight Commander is the highest rank within it. If it wasn’t honorary, i.e. if the awardees weren’t foreign nationals, they would be allowed to have the style ‘Sir’ before their names. The only order of chivalry higher up the totem pole is the Order of Nike, awardees for which is so rare last person to get one was the late-Prime Minister Bernard Wong, who single-handedly turned our economy around during the great liberalisation movement before he met his untimely end before a double decker bus. Needless to say, that award was posthumous.

Secondly, there is a month to go before the Lord Protector’s birthday, the date on which the honours will be officially conferred. A lot may happen in the interim. With the “bandits and terrorists”, as the Bogorian media puts it, continuing their siege of Rakovnik, and the government contemplating a respond in kind, it may very well be the case that, long before the 2nd of May, both sides will be back to their merry ways of massacring each other with wanton abandon. What real service would the pair have done for world peace, then? You tell me.

I can’t help but to think that, just maybe, His Highness’s loyal advisors on who to give bits of shiny baubles to have jumped the guns a bit.

by **Central Prestonia** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 10:07 pm

Goldman Arrives in Prestonia for Roth Energy Summit, Talks With Premier

The Roth Estate, pictured in this file photo, is the residence of Lord Hiram Roth and hosts the annual Roth Summit on Energy Futures. President Eli Goldman of Belhavia is to attend this year's summit, his Administration's first.

Belhaven Belhavian President Eli Goldman arrived in Hudson today ahead of an annual summit hosted by Lord Hiram Roth on the future of the Prestonian energy market and its role in the world, at which the Emperor and Premier Jordan Howe are expected to be guests. This marks the first visit of Goldman to Prestonia since taking office in 2009, and is seen as a reciprocal visit for the Emperor's trip to Provisa in late 2014.

In a press release circulated by the Premier's office this afternoon, the agenda calls for a round of talks with the Premier as well as Energy Minister Matthew Giles and Royal Crown Petroleum CEO Logan Fox regarding Prestonia's energy policy and future outlook. Prestonia, estimated to be the world's fourth-largest producer of natural gas, remains one of the few liberally-oriented nations to have its fossil fuel sector as a state enterprise, and it is expected that Goldman will broach the subject of privatisation in line with the Premier's campaign promise to "restructure" state holdings in the Prestonian energy market. Prestonia is notably neither a member of POPE nor of the free-market advocacy group OFEM, the latter of which includes Belhavia among its membership. Addressing the Diet this afternoon, Goldman made reference to the struggle between POPE and OFEM, calling it "one of the most important and quietest-fought wars of our time."

"There is a war going on right now, as we speak," Goldman told assembled MDs. "It is not fought with guns, nor aircraft, nor tanks; it inflicts no direct casualties, and yet it is perhaps the most important war ever fought in our world. For what is at stake is whether we, the world, will grant a cabal of states who spurn representative government, who spurn responsible rule of law and human conventions, who reject all of what it means to be a responsible member of our world community, the right to dictate to the rest of us what we will pay for those most essential resources for our modern world. I believe that this is not only unjust, but untenable and inherently unstable, and I would urge the Right Honourable members of this Diet to consider the implications of a future in which the likes of Mardullah and Baharaq are permitted to hold the free world to ransom and drain its coffers on their own whims."

Following a round of talks this afternoon, Goldman is expected to join Howe, Giles and Fox in addition to the Emperor at a gala summit hosted by Lord Hiram Roth at his country estate tomorrow evening. The summit, hosted annually by the Roth Charitable Trust, deals with energy policy, a personal interest of Lord Roth, and has lately focused on renewable energy resources as the implications of global climate change and carbon emissions become more apparent. A copy of the guest list, received by PBC News, lists Helios Energy Solutions CEO Alison Roberts, as well as energy policy consultant Dr Patrick Horton among this year's guests, in addition to senior Government and Royal Crown Petroleum leadership. Roberts, whose company holds the largest share of the solar and alternative energy market in Prestonia, was recently named the country's richest woman, with an estimated net worth of C18 billion. Horton, meanwhile, has served on the board of Royal Crown Petroleum and more recently has lectured on the future of cleaner fossil fuels and renewable energy as a private consultant and guest lecturer at Suffolk University's Faculty of Petroleum Engineering. Royal Crown Petroleum CEO Logan Fox is expected to deliver brief remarks to the assembled guests on innovations in clean extraction techniques in the natural gas industry, which are expected to result in a more efficient and environmentally-conscious natural gas operation in the Boric Sea region in years to come. Premier Jordan Howe is also expected to give a brief address on the government's energy policy and renewable energy goals going forward, with keynote address coming from Dr Horton entitled "A New Approach to The Energy Solutions of Tomorrow."

Energy Policy A Political Minefield, History Shows

While usually a peripheral or back-burner issue in most developed countries, energy policy in Prestonia has long been a political hot potato which many governments have been unable or unwilling to modify in any significant fashion. The reason for this is primarily historical, dating to the first exploration of natural gas fields off Rockaway in the mid-50s. Exploitation in earnest began by 1962 and quickly brought a surge in wealth to Prestonia, whose primary exports heretofore were so-called "primary goods," such as timber, iron, steel and coal. A state corporation, under the aegis of the 1960s "Red Wave" Labour governments, was formed to oversee exploitation of the new resource, and the substantial wealth which it brought in was channeled into the hallmark social programs of the Labour government. The formation of POPE in 1970 brought with it the possibility of membership, a vote which failed by less than fifty votes, motivated primarily by concern that the new supranational bloc would undermine Prestonian energy independence.

What has resulted in the ensuing years is an odd sort of paradox, with Royal Crown Petroleum selling below the price quotas set by POPE in order to remain competitive, a similar strategy as that undertaken by OFEM, while remaining nonaligned with either of the major petroleum trade blocs. Despite pressure from some in the energy community to join with the free-energy bloc, previous governments have strongly resisted, characterising OFEM as another form of cartel and contending that such membership would restrict the ability of the RCP and Energy Ministry to set prices independently. The Premier, who has previously called for privatisation of Prestonian energy concerns and membership in OFEM, has thus far been reluctant to act on these platform planks, saying in a recent press conference that the path to privatisation needed to be undertaken carefully.

"What we cannot have, going forward, is a sell-off that sees fifty thousand Prestonian jobs wiped out, the wealth of our oil redirected overseas, while a handful of government ministers and board members line their pockets," Howe said in a press briefing last month. "My government is committed to a restructuring of government interests in the petroleum industry, but it must be done in a manner that ensures that this essential portion of our economy and our job market is preserved."

Goldman is expected to remain in Prestonia for three days, with the third day of talks set as an open forum and expected to cover recent developments in Bogoria and Constantinople, as well as the strengthening of ties between Provisa and Hudson in economic and trade matters.

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by **Austrasien** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 1:54 pm

Das Volk
News of Austrasia and the World

Head of Reichswehr denies Austrasia was consulted about Bogoria Mission: Addressing a diet committee Reichsmarschall Reinhard Falk, commander-in-chief of the Austrasien armed forces, denied that Austrasia was involved in a mooted OSEN peacekeeping mission that was recently disclosed in the Prestonia media. "Though I cannot speak for our esteemed allies I was as surprised by the Prestonian announcement of a 'OSEN' peacekeeping mission as you were [Councillor]... though it is ultimately the decision of the Diet and the Emperor I do not see any compelling strategic interest in Bogoria that would warrant putting our soldiers in harms way to try and resolve what is essentially a domestic Bogorian conflict."

While Austrasian public opinion is sympathetic to the anti-Catholic forces in Bogoria and supportive of Austrasia playing a constructive role in the peace process, there appears to be little appetite for Austrasian soldiers to be placed in harms way. The announcement from Prestonia of a possible OSEN mission to Bogoria triggered a minor political crisis in Austrasia that left politicians scrambling to explain why Austrasia would consider sending soldiers abroad. In the early hours before the Diet began its hearings on the matter a small illegal demonstration was staged in front of the legislative assembly by anti-war activists, who dispersed peacefully a few hours later after an extended discussion with the Gendarmerie commander.

Senior sources speaking anonymously to Das Volk said they were "Skeptical" of the claim Austrasia was not consulted beforehand, suggesting that in all likelihood the government is massaging the issue to assuage public opinion. One former diplomat who represented Austrasia in OSEN countries however called the Prestonian announcement "Tone deaf" and suggested Austrasian politicians would have no choice but to try and distance themselves from it. "I don't fully understood what the Prestonians were thinking, or if they were thinking, when they made this announcement" he told a Das Volk reporter "It is obvious that while the Austrasian street is concerned about Bogoria's humanitarian crisis they have no interest in sending their husbands, sons and brothers into harms way there. Neither do they appreciate the idea that they would shed Franconian blood to protect Emmerian geo-political interests, which in this case is very hard to avoid."

While every expert consulted said it would be "very difficult" for Austrasia to sit out an OSEN mission completely, they all agreed in principle that it would be very difficult for the government to sell such a mission to the public. As one retired Brigadier put it, "If [this mission occurs] there will be a huge temptation for Austrasia to try and thread the needle by contributing without putting any Austrasian soldiers in harms way."

It has been reported that the Emperor and the First Minister are consulting at this time to formulate an official position.

by **Rodarion** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 8:53 pm

Controversial fringe group "Green and Free Group", claim shipbreaking poisons workers and the environment

The government has announced plans to regulate the ship-breaking industry have several undercover reports by independent journalists showed extensive illegal operations taking place. The most common offence, being the employment of large numbers of workers without permits or legal documentation, allowing ship-breaker employers the ability to pay their workers on an inregular basis and denying them onsight equipment. Another report conducted by the journalists shows major enviromental damage to waters around the breaking yards, however the Ministry of Industry and Labour has dismissed the reports as "enviromentalist nonsense", the office of Enviromental Affairs has also dismissed the report as "shoddy and greatly misleading." However the Minister of Industry and Labour, Costică Sala, did state that the legality of the sector regarding worker's rights would be addressed.

In a series of online blogs, independent journalists of the "Green and Free Group" (GFG) revealed how ship-breaking in the Papal Republic is responsible for the deaths of two workers on average per week. The most deadly breaker yard, located 3km east of Brăila, saw 12 workers die in two weeks, mostly due to collapsing debris from vessels or avoidable accidents. In 2003, 8 workers died when they ignited fuel aboard one vessel, causing a deadly explosion. Brăila city council, denied such events took place at the breaker's yard, stating "no medical record has been found to certify these claims. The Brăila City Administration takes the wellbeing of its citizens very seriously and any situation such as one described would warrant an immediate and thorough investigation, however due to the lack of evidence, no such action is appropriate."

The Green and Free Group is comprised of six independent journalists and four lawyers, it is headed by Alina Nastase, who is renowned within political circles for her sensationalist stories, including a story which she published in 2011, which stated the Vatican had an official policy regarding the use of prostitutes, utilising first person testimony which was later found to be false. Lawyer Radu Gaina, is also renowned for his defence of state enemies, he was one of the associate defenders for the disgraced "reformist" Tiberiu Marinescu, who was found guilty of soliciting under-age prostitutes and being in possession of illegal drugs such as cocaine and meth. Another key member, exiled former Voce journalist Sofia Oprea was actually certified as possessed by her local Diocese Well-being Committee (DWbC) in 2013, citing "seriously deranged irrational behaviour, far beyond the orthodox behaviour of a Rodarian Catholic, let alone a human being in complete control of their mental capacities."

The report which remains online, has revealed issues that have been taken up by the government. Issues of abuses of workers and complete disregard of the mandatory documentation of employment at large scale manual sites, being the focus. Since 1960, it has been mandatory for all manual labour sites to document their employment numbers and individual employees for the sake of provinces allocating sufficient medical care in possibility of worker related accidents. It comes after the 1957, Abalui Mine explosion, which killed 385 workers and injured 200 more, Timiş Province lacked sufficient medical supplies and personnel to deal with the disaster due to insufficient documentation of miners employed at the site.

Minister of Industry and Labour, Costică Sala said in a press conference this morning in response to the blogs being posted, "the government takes very seriously violations of the Manual Employment Documentation Act, it is a vital process of employers in ensuring that their workers are covered by their provincial health-care facilities. Not only does it provide workers with access to necessary health care in the event of a work-related incident, should their personal health insurance cover them, it also allows the government to keep tracks on the number of employed, which allows us to formulate national policy and ensure that companies are taxed the required amount." Three months ago, the MoIL announced that eleven yards will be nationalised under the Rodarian State Ship Services Corporation, which already operates the Mangalia Ship-breaking Yard, 13km north of Călan, which is the world's largest ship-breaking yard.

GFG denounced the nationalisation, as ship-breaking is estimated to be worth over $5.5 billion, they claimed with no evidence in support; that the government was eager for independent voices to justify a nationalisation of the sector due to the immense profits that would go straight to government, rather than independent businessmen. The Ministry of Industry and Labour denounced these claims as the works of "superstitious conspiracy theorists who despise the nation's economic system because they value self-destruction and decadence over patriotic economic service."

Numerous offences are recorded in the posts, including employers using physical abuse on workers who are late or conducting themselves in an insufficient manner. One worker died as a result of a severe beating by yard employers in 2014, local police in Moreni arrested one man and charged him for murder, he was executed by hanging in late 2014, however the document stated that the person hung was a bystander and that the police chose not to prosecute those responsible due bribes from the yard owners. Moreni Police Command denounced this accusations as "provocative and libellous." The accusation against MPC is in fashion with GFG's sensationalist and anti-authority record.

The reports by GFG mostly focused upon the environmental affect the industry has, they claim in their posts, that over 18,000 workers suffer from lead poisoning, breathing difficulties and cancers, as a result of dealing with paint and asbestos aboard the vessels. They also claim large quantities of ship fuel leaks into the Sea of Orlessia every year from these breaker-yards, toxic chemicals from these vessels also seep into the soil and pollute nearby communities. They cite the mass grounding of dead dolphins and sea-fish in 2013 near the Mangalia Yard as evidence of mass poisoning of the seas due to the breaker yard. The Office of Environmental Affairs dismissed the reports as lacking in "truly qualitative scientific findings, that warrant a follow up investigation." The OEA is run by the Church and has been a key voice in formulating improved government policy towards the issue of air pollution in the country, which has improved dramatically in the last 10 years according to a recent OEA report.

The posts have been ridiculed online, with thousands of messages on Mecins, saying, "I think I saw asbestos in my drinking water from #ShipBreakerYard", another said, "#ShipBreaking just poisoned my pet parrot". Whilst politicians have dismissed the posts as the work of those "seeking fame through sedition", according to one NCP Senator.

The nationalisation of the eleven yards is expected to be completed by April, an estimated 22,000 jobs are to be created through in-direct links to the industry, as the Rodarian State Ship Services Corporation is expected to construct several steel recycling plants to reproduce steel taking from the vessels.

Written by Florentin Vantu.

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